Nuggets' J.R. Smith will spend 30 days in jail
J.R. Smith was in a New Jersey court room Tuesday for his involvement in a 2007 auto accident that killed his best friend Andre Bell. Smith was driving at the time and ran a stop sign, then was hit by a car. The impact from the car hitting Smith's SUV caused it to roll and both Bell and Smith were ejected. Andre Bell died as a result of the accident and J.R. Smith was charged with reckless driving for the second time. Smith and Bell were old childhood friends and the loss of Bell was devastating.
Wanda Bell, the mother of Andre Bell didn't want Smith to be prosecuted harshly for the accident. She looks at J.R. Smith as another son and she has already lost one. Putting J.R. Smith in a jail was not necessary to her, he already has to live knowing he killed his best friend. This showing of support for Smith may have been crucial in the sentence that was handed down Tuesday. J.R. Smith will serve 30 days in jail, avoiding the maximum of 90 days. Upon hearing the sentence, Wanda Bell approached Smith with tears in her eyes and gave him a hug. Bell was quoted as saying "I told him I loved him, and then I walked away." J.R. Smith was immediately handcuffed and taken to county jail.
Wanda Bell loves J.R. Smith, but that doesn't mean he's totally off the hook after his 30 days. There's still a civil case pending and Bell will be looking for compensation. She's disabled, unmarried and lives with her other son. The attorneys for both sides will be working out a deal over the summer and Wanda Bell will be compensated for the loss of her son with money, how much we may never know.
Most Nuggets fans knew J.R. Smith was facing legal action for this action. The jail time comes as no surprise, but the length of the sentence is surprising. J.R. Smith has numerous traffic violations in New Jersey, including a previous reckless driving charge. While the maximum sentence of 90 days would likely have been handed down to most average citizens, it was lessened for the rising NBA star. By receiving 30 days, J.R. Smith won't miss out on offseason team functions or too much of his training. Smith will have some time to reflect on his life and where he wants to go from here.
Will this make J.R. stronger? Was this sentence harsh enough for the circumstances?
Wanda Bell, the mother of Andre Bell didn't want Smith to be prosecuted harshly for the accident. She looks at J.R. Smith as another son and she has already lost one. Putting J.R. Smith in a jail was not necessary to her, he already has to live knowing he killed his best friend. This showing of support for Smith may have been crucial in the sentence that was handed down Tuesday. J.R. Smith will serve 30 days in jail, avoiding the maximum of 90 days. Upon hearing the sentence, Wanda Bell approached Smith with tears in her eyes and gave him a hug. Bell was quoted as saying "I told him I loved him, and then I walked away." J.R. Smith was immediately handcuffed and taken to county jail.
Wanda Bell loves J.R. Smith, but that doesn't mean he's totally off the hook after his 30 days. There's still a civil case pending and Bell will be looking for compensation. She's disabled, unmarried and lives with her other son. The attorneys for both sides will be working out a deal over the summer and Wanda Bell will be compensated for the loss of her son with money, how much we may never know.
Most Nuggets fans knew J.R. Smith was facing legal action for this action. The jail time comes as no surprise, but the length of the sentence is surprising. J.R. Smith has numerous traffic violations in New Jersey, including a previous reckless driving charge. While the maximum sentence of 90 days would likely have been handed down to most average citizens, it was lessened for the rising NBA star. By receiving 30 days, J.R. Smith won't miss out on offseason team functions or too much of his training. Smith will have some time to reflect on his life and where he wants to go from here.
Will this make J.R. stronger? Was this sentence harsh enough for the circumstances?
Posted by Jeremy Fleming at Thursday, July 02, 2009 12:22 PM 
Categories: Denver Nuggets
Tags: J.R. Smith Mark Warkentien
Categories: Denver Nuggets
Tags: J.R. Smith Mark Warkentien
It'll make him stronger if he doesn't drop the soap in the shower. Oh man you left it wide open, sorry JR, I had to. He wasn't drunk, merely driving like a madman so I'm not up in arms, Donte Stallworth only got 60 days for killing someone while drunk. An example of how money buys freedom through better lawyers, it's not his NBA career that got him less time, it's the cheese. He probably made a promise to do charity work as well.
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